Tips for fireworks and your pet

Did you know that more dogs go missing on the 4^th of July than any other day of the year? Dogs that are frightened try to escape the loud noise and can break windows, chew doors or dog crates, and escape by digging holes under fences.

Here are a few easy suggestions to keep your pets calm and safe during the 4^th of July weekend:

1. Make sure that your dog and cat has a microchip, and your dog has a collar with proper identification tags.
2. Always keep your dog on a leash when you are outside.
3. Keep your cats indoors only.
4. Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise earlier in the day. Be sure to use caution when exercising outdoors in the heat.
5. Take your dog outside to go to the bathroom before the fireworks start. Some dogs may be too frightened to go to the bathroom once the fireworks begin.
6. Lock your pets safely in a room before opening the front door.

Commonly seen behaviors of anxious pets during storms or fireworks are:

1. Shaking or trembling
2. Excessive drooling
3. Barking or howling
4. Pacing
5. Panting
6. Refusing to eat
7. Hiding

If your pet does become anxious during fireworks, here are a few suggestions that may help them cope with their fears:

1. Keep windows and curtains closed if possible.
2. Provide a safe place like a crate that the pet can go in.
3. Use white noise such as a fan, or soft music, to help drown out the loud noise.
4. Thundershirts help many dogs and cats with anxiety due to loud noises. Thundershirts work like swaddling does for infants. You can purchase a Thundershirt for your pet by clicking here.
5. Adaptil collars help alleviate fear in some dogs. They mimic the properties of the natural pheromone of the lactating female.
6. Feliway Diffuser Plug-Ins for cats is also a feline pheromone therapy that helps calm cats. You can purchase one by clicking here.
7.  There is a new FDA approved treatment for noise aversion in dogs that is showing promise in helping calm dogs without sedation. This  medication was developed to treat fear experienced by dogs during loud noise such as fireworks, thunder, construction noise, etc.
8.  A new prescription diet on the market called CALM has shown results of easing anxiety in some pets.

There are additional medications available to treat anxiety. Please call our office at (513)232-4550 if you would like to schedule an appointment.